1058. Seeing the beast that was and is not, signifies the knowledge that the Word has been received, and yet is rejected. This is evident from the signification of "seeing," as being to know and cognize (See n. 260, 529); also from the signification of the "beast," as being the Word (See n. 1038); also from the signification of "that was and is not," as being that it has been received, and yet rejected (See n. 1054-1056).

(Continuation: the Third Kind of Profanation)

[2] In this kind of profanation are those who with devout gestures and a pious utterance adore Divine things, and yet in heart and spirit deny them; thus who venerate the holy things of the Word and of the church and of worship outwardly or before the world, and yet at home or in secret deride them. When those of this class are in a holy external, and are teaching in a temple or conversing with the common people, they do not know otherwise than that what they say is true; but as soon as they return into themselves they think the opposite. Because these are such they can counterfeit angels of light, although they are angels of darkness. From this it is clear that this kind of profanation is a hypocritical kind. They are not unlike images made of filth and gilded, or like fruits rotten within but with a beautiful skin, or like nuts eaten by worms within but with a whole shell. From all this it is evident that their internal is diabolical, and therefore that their holy external is profane.

[3] Such are most of the rulers in the Babylon of the present day, and many of a certain society in Babylon, as those of them know who claim to themselves dominion over the souls of men and over heaven. For to believe as they do, that authority has been given them to save and to admit into heaven, is the very opposite of acknowledging in heart that there is a God, and for the reason that man, in order to be saved and admitted into heaven must look to the Lord and pray to Him. But a man who believes that such authority has been given to him looks to himself, and believes the things that are the Lord's to be in himself; and to believe this, and at the same time to believe that there is a God or that God is in him, is impossible. For a man to believe that God is in him when he thinks himself to be above the holy things of the church, and heaven to be in his power, is like ascribing that belief to Lucifer, who burns with the fire of ruling over all things. If such a man thinks that God is in him he cannot think this otherwise than from himself; and thinking from himself that God is in him is thinking not that God is in him, but that he himself is God, as is said of Lucifer in Isaiah (Isaiah 14:13, 14), by whom is there meant Babylon, as is evident from the fourth and twenty-second verses of the same chapter.

[4] Moreover, such a man, of himself, when power is given him, shows forth what he is of himself, and this by degrees according to his elevation. From this it is clear that such are atheists, some avowedly, some clandestinely, and some ignorantly. And as they regard dominion as an end, and the holy things of heaven and the church as means, they counterfeit angels of light in face, gesture, and speech, and thus profane holy things.

529. Verse 13. And I saw, and I heard one angel flying in midheaven, signifies the Lord enlightening all in the heavens respecting the state of the church at its end. This is evident from the signification of "to see and to hear," as being to open the understanding to perceive (of which presently); and from the signification of "angel," as being the Lord. That "angels" in the Word mean Divine truth proceeding from the Lord, thus the Lord Himself in relation to Divine truth, may be seen above (n. 130, 200, 302), here the Lord manifesting what the church is to be in the last times in respect to the reception of Divine truth. Also from the signification of "to fly," as being to enlighten and give understanding (of which presently); also from the signification of "in midheaven," as being in the whole heaven, or all who are in the heavens (that "in the midst" signifies in the whole and thus all, see above, n. 213). From this it can be seen that "I saw, and I heard one angel flying in mid-heaven," signifies the enlightenment of all who are in the heavens respecting the state of the church at its end. Enlightenment respecting the state of the church at its end is meant, because this is what is treated of in what follows. "To see and to hear" signifies to open the understanding to perceive, because "to see" signifies to understand, and "to hear" to perceive (that "to see" signifies to understand, see above, n. 260; and that "to hear" signifies to perceive, also above n. 14, 108).

[2] "To fly" signifies, in reference to the Lord, to enlighten, because "to fly" is said of the understanding, and of the extension of its vision round about, therefore in reference to the Lord, "to fly" signifies the enlightenment of the understanding. That in reference to the Lord, "to fly" signifies omnipresence, may be seen above (n. 282); consequently it signifies also enlightenment, for where the Lord is present there is enlightenment. "To fly" has the same signification in David:

God rode upon a cherub, He did fly, and was borne upon the wings of the wind (Psalms 18:10; 2 Samuel 22:11).

A "cherub" signifies the inmost heaven, "to ride" signifies to give understanding and to enlighten; "to fly" and "to be borne upon the wings of the wind" have a like meaning; but "to ride" here signifies to give understanding to and to enlighten here the inmost heaven, which is signified by a "cherub;" "to fly" also signifies to give understanding to and to enlighten the middle heaven; while "to be borne upon the wings of the wind" signifies to give understanding to and to enlighten the ultimate heaven. (That "to ride" signifies to give understanding, see above, n. 355, 364; and that a "cherub," signifies the inmost heaven, n. 313, 322, 362, 462.) "To fly" signifies to enlighten the middle heaven, because that heaven is the spiritual heaven, and spiritual things in the Word are signified by various birds, and by their wings and flights. "To be borne upon the wings of the wind" signifies to enlighten the ultimate heaven, because "wings" are for flight, and here signify enlightenment, and "wind" signifies the spiritual of that heaven; thus all this describes the omnipresence of the Lord in the heavens, thence also the enlightenment of the understanding; for as was said above, where the Lord is present there is enlightenment.